Cattle Market Pulse

Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) Market Report

Stanford, Kentucky · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, August 21, 2025

1,091 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Blue Grass South Stockyards (Thursday) report →

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $436.37/cwt +55.76 vs last sale · ≈ $2,672/hd at 612 lb · 162 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $346.00/cwt +13.14 vs last sale · ≈ $3,025/hd at 874 lb · 131 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1-2 steers $334.50/cwt ≈ $3,215/hd at 961 lb · 113 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,091 1,026 1,246
Feeder cattle 1,026 918 1,116
Slaughter cattle 56 100 124
Replacement cattle 9 8 6

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last Thursday: Feeder and yearling steers 10.00-12.00 higher with instances of 15.00-20.00 higher, Feeder and yearling heifers fully steady, Very good demand for feeder and yearling classes. Slaughter cows 2.00-4.00 lower, Slaughter bulls steady, Good demand for slaughter classes.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270–285 fancy 278 2 485.00 $485.00 $1,348 —
330 fancy 330 1 485.00 $485.00 $1,600 +20.11
350 fancy 350 1 500.00 $500.00 $1,750 +67.93
400–405 402 3 425.00–430.00 $426.68 $1,715 +44.25
405–435 fancy 415 11 452.50–497.50 $480.46 $1,994 +16.09
455–467 fancy 460 7 445.00–465.00 $460.72 $2,119 +39.20
470 470 3 397.50–410.00 $405.83 $1,907 +43.33
530 value added 530 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,120 +3.96
555–572 value added 566 10 405.00–433.00 $425.00 $2,406 +32.90
560–571 568 4 360.00–389.00 $381.86 $2,169 +5.93
610 thin fleshed 610 142 443.25 $443.25 $2,704 —
600–641 value added 629 19 362.50–410.00 $389.21 $2,448 +26.14
635 635 1 355.00 $355.00 $2,254 +17.50
661–663 value added 661 65 370.00–409.50 $407.67 $2,695 +51.74
706–738 value added 711 82 359.00–388.75 $383.48 $2,727 +44.48
700–745 723 7 307.50–337.00 $326.49 $2,361 +4.49
854–893 value added 873 117 348.25–349.75 $348.99 $3,047 +8.99
885 885 14 321.00 $321.00 $2,841 +6.00
953–970 value added 961 113 332.00–337.00 $334.50 $3,215 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075–1230 1153 3 190.00–237.50 $214.65 $2,475 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,782 —
520 520 1 337.50 $337.50 $1,755 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240–245 fancy 243 3 480.00–485.00 $483.36 $1,175 —
330–345 335 3 367.50–382.50 $377.35 $1,264 -11.58
340 fancy 340 1 417.50 $417.50 $1,420 -7.50
355 355 1 374.00 $374.00 $1,328 -16.00
355–395 fancy 384 12 400.00–427.50 $409.19 $1,571 -7.24
400–440 fancy 423 10 380.00–402.50 $388.45 $1,643 -11.57
420–445 438 5 360.00–370.00 $365.94 $1,603 -0.26
470 fancy 470 2 385.00 $385.00 $1,810 -4.63
465–495 478 8 355.00–377.50 $369.19 $1,765 +5.67
507–535 value added 524 9 360.00–375.00 $364.08 $1,908 +0.42
525–530 528 2 332.50–347.50 $340.04 $1,795 -1.28
555–590 572 6 330.00–340.00 $336.74 $1,926 -6.54
562–595 value added 580 13 350.00–367.50 $358.38 $2,079 +4.00
600–638 626 10 300.00–325.00 $313.54 $1,963 -8.46
635 value added 635 4 330.00 $330.00 $2,096 -2.07
660 660 2 325.00 $325.00 $2,145 +4.29
825 825 1 277.50 $277.50 $2,289 —
830 value added 830 60 335.00 $335.00 $2,780 —
980–990 983 3 230.00–245.00 $236.66 $2,326 -20.84
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 1 322.50 $322.50 $1,742 —
570–575 573 2 283.00–320.00 $301.42 $1,727 -21.16
645 645 1 286.00 $286.00 $1,845 -10.81
715 715 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,038 +15.00
825 825 1 219.00 $219.00 $1,807 -64.73
940 940 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,692 -20.00
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1125–1437 1277 6 156.00–220.00 $182.66 $2,333 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 340.00 $340.00 $1,054 —
360 360 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,080 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275–290 fancy 283 2 485.00 $485.00 $1,373 —
305 305 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,159 —
325–335 fancy 330 4 420.00–505.00 $456.16 $1,505 —
355 355 1 400.00 $400.00 $1,420 -13.60
355–390 fancy 373 4 427.50–485.00 $456.85 $1,704 -28.15
400 400 1 392.50 $392.50 $1,570 —
413–446 fancy 431 9 425.00–487.50 $459.95 $1,982 +33.48
455–480 fancy 472 3 417.50–462.50 $431.97 $2,039 +10.27
455–480 472 3 380.00–402.50 $387.23 $1,828 +27.23
502–535 fancy 513 5 385.00–412.50 $397.97 $2,042 +7.21
530–535 533 2 360.00–375.00 $367.54 $1,959 +3.64
585–595 fancy 588 3 382.50 $382.50 $2,249 +2.50
590 590 4 362.50–375.00 $371.88 $2,194 +0.29
605–625 fancy 613 3 350.00–360.00 $353.32 $2,166 +12.15
600–630 615 2 330.00–340.00 $335.12 $2,061 +35.12
665 fancy 665 3 350.00 $350.00 $2,328 —
695 695 1 320.00 $320.00 $2,224 +14.25
700 700 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,170 —
775 775 1 290.00 $290.00 $2,248 —
807–820 811 3 260.00–282.50 $274.92 $2,230 -3.74
870 870 1 275.00 $275.00 $2,392 —
1025 1025 1 210.00 $210.00 $2,152 -13.75
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
321 321 3 352.50 $352.50 $1,132 —
392 392 2 347.50 $347.50 $1,362 —
555–585 563 4 301.00–331.00 $308.80 $1,739 -26.20
660–690 676 6 260.00–300.00 $286.45 $1,936 +18.95
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,062 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1380 1214 80-85% 7 140.00–159.00 $149.34 $1,813 -22.97
1280 1280 80-85% 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,728 —
1180–1385 1296 80-85% 8 160.00–174.00 $167.15 $2,166 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1145 1003 85-90% 2 131.00–132.00 $131.43 $1,318 —
1005–1095 1050 85-90% 4 160.00–171.00 $166.90 $1,752 —
960–1260 1072 85-90% 7 141.00–155.00 $149.96 $1,608 -17.47
1085 1085 85-90% 1 109.00 $109.00 $1,183 -58.43
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1565–1680 1608 75-80% 4 162.00–179.00 $172.79 $2,778 —
1510–1810 1660 75-80% 2 156.00–157.00 $156.55 $2,599 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1645 1500 3 165.00–186.00 $178.88 $2,683 —
1235–2045 1640 2 193.00–194.00 $193.62 $3,175 —
1835–1960 1892 3 208.00–218.00 $213.73 $4,044 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
815–1110 968 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 6 180.00–257.50 $216.13 $2,092
1035 1035 (<2 yrs)Open 1 220.00 $220.00 $2,277

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1585 1585 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
890 890 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935 935 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,964 +5.00
1089 value added 1089 41 256.00 $256.00 $2,788 —

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.